Q: Whether or not I get five or eight hours I tend to have trouble falling asleep each night. I guess I’m looking for a way to shut my brain down at night and be free of stress. How can I convince my brain it’s time to go to sleep? It would be great to avoid medications. Chelle S. San Diego, CA A: Acupuncture can be so effective at inducing sleep that one patient left...

Got a question for us? Drop your tricky, random, wacky or plain confusing health question into the Suggest-O-Matic, leave a comment, or tag your tweet questions with #wellwire and our team of experts will answer them in this weekly column. Q: What is Chinese medicine? Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the idea that pathways of energy, or qi, run in regular patterns...

Pregnancy is such a special time. Growing a human inside your body for 40 weeks (give or take a few) is an incredible feat. Some parts of it are fun or mind-blowing (seeing the first ultrasound, feeling the baby move!), other parts are less exciting (constipation, nausea, breast tenderness). Like I keep saying to myself and others: it’s not forever, it’s...

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a wonderful tool during pregnancy: drug-free and relaxing for baby and mother. I get this question a lot, acupuncture can be used safely and effectively throughout the entire pregnancy, even after delivery. During the first trimester a woman might feel fatigue and nausea or experience a lot of vomiting. There may be some herbal formulas...

The mind-body connection comes up more often as science explores the dynamics of neuro-synthesis and I’ve noticed a shift–it seems like it’s not just about valuing longevity anymore but valuing quality of everyday life. Even among my own patients, it seems like they’re asking me how to preserve and improve their health rather than how they can live...

Welcome to our new Q&A column! Drop your tricky, random, wacky or plain confusing health and wellness questions into the Suggest-O-Matic (or leave a comment) and our team will answer them. Q I’m considering acupressure and acupuncture treatments for pain. What’s the difference between the two and why is it sometimes necessary to use the needles instead...

This month here in the US marks National Diabetes Awareness month. So can you guess what eating a lot of green veggies, exercising regularly, choosing not to smoke, and getting 8 hours of sleep per night all have in common? They’re the top 4 lifestyle choices you can adopt now to prevent developing type II diabetes later in life. You might be surprised to learn that...

Concerned parents have been calling my office this week asking for advice on how to best treat their feverish sniffling tots. Knowing what to look for will help you decide if home remedies are appropriate or if a visit to the doctor is in order. While it’s a natural instinct to give a sick child medicine, holding off at first is the best bet for their still developing...